Weekly Menu 12/25/11 - Amy

Cheesy ham and potatoes, broccoli, frozen fruit salad
Chicken stir fry
Tacos
White chili, cornbread
Spaghetti, green beans, French bread
Hamburgers, veggie tray, chips, fresh fruit
Perfect Winter Beef Stew

Mom's Eggnog

3 c. milk
1 c. cream (or 2 of milk and 2 of cream)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
nutmeg

Cook milk, cream, eggs, sugar and salt over low heat.  Stir constantly.  When mix coats the spoon--cool.  Put in the blender until smooth.  Add vanilla and nutmeg.

Weekly Menu 12/18/11 - Amy

Quinoa patties, sweet potatoes, broccoli
Beef and broccoli
Taco soup
Italian Runzas
Ham, scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, frozen fruit salad, green beans, rolls
Marinated meatballs, artichoke dip & crackers, mini quiches, veggie platter, fresh fruit

White Chicken Chili

I got this from a friend who used to live in our ward.  I really love it!

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 TB oil
2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz. each)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies--I only use one
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c. cream


In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from hear, stir in sour cream and cream.  Serve immediately. 

(If you are in a hurry you can boil the chicken, then cut it up and put everything in a crockpot except the sour cream and cream).

Weekly Menu 12/11/11 and 12/19/11

Hawaiian Haystacks
Pizza
White Chicken Chili
Rice, Black beans, fried egg
orange/pecan/french toast, sausage
Taco Soup
Lasagna
Tomato Soup
Pancakes
Turkey, jello salad, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls (Christmas Eve)

Weekly Menu 12/11/11 - Amy

Mexican Chicken Soup
Shepards Pie
Loaded baked potatoes
Mac & Cheese, veggies
Pasta Salad
Manicotti

Weekly Menu 12/11/11- Elise

Roast, potatos, green beans, rolls
chicken ceasar wraps
Cheesy Ham and Potatos
Salsa chicken tacos and pinto beans
Black Bean Soup and Nachos
Beef Enchiladas, Salad

Weekly Menu 12/4/11 - Amy

Black bean soup
Chicken enchiladas
Tomato soup, grilled cheese
Quinoa Salad
Peperoni pasta, squash
Mini German pancakes, smoothie
Salmon, rice, broccoli

Quinoa Salad

I loved this recipe when we tried it this week.  I got it from http://www.warmhomemadebread.blogspot.com/

Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water then chill in refrigerator
Add :
1/2 c. olive oil
sprinkel garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tb. apple cidar vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced or 1 lime juiced
green onions
cucumber peeled and quartered
tomato chopped
cilantro

Mix and serve

Weekly Menu 11/28/11- Elise

Roast Beef, potatos, carrots
French Dip sandwhiches
Chicken tacos
Waffles, sasuage, oranges

Weekly Menu 11/13/11-Jeanine

Potato Soup, pumpkin roll-ups
Monkey bread pizza, smoothies (William's birthday!)
Honey baked chicken, brown rice, asparagus
Lasagna, bread
Chicken noodle soup

Weekly Menu 11/6/11-Jeanine

Quinoa chili and cornbread
Taco Soup
Pumpkin Spice Waffles with spiced apples, bacon
Chicken Tacos, spanish rice

Weekly Menu 11/13/11- Elise

Biscuts and Gravy
beef soup, rolls,
shepherd's pie
leftovers
Steak, twice baked potatos, green beans (Austin's birthday!)

Black Bean Soup

I think I got this from mom.  I've been wanting to try it and now that it's getting cold I think I will.

 

1 tbsp. oil

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ¼ tsp. ground cumin

2 cans (19 oz) black beans

1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth

1 tbsp. lime juice

sour cream and cilantro 

      In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, garlic, and cumin.  Sauté until lightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

      Stir in black beans, with liquid, and broth.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

      Puree soup in blender in small batches.  Return to saucepan to reheat, and stir in lime juice.  Divide among bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

(Serve this protein-packed soup with some oven-baked nachos.)

Carrot-Thyme Soup with cream

Lisa posted this and it looks so good.  I really want to try it.

 

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Baby Carrots
• 2 quarts Vegetable Stock Or Chicken Stock
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Combine carrots, stock, and thyme in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from heat and transfer soup in two batches to a blender (or you may use an immersion blender.) Puree soup completely, then stir in honey and cream. Taste, then add salt as needed.
Use a little warm broth if the soup needs thinning.
Serve while warm with a sprig of thyme on top

Weekly Menu 11/6/11- Elise

Chicken Wonton Salad, rolls
Quinoa Chili, fruit salad, cornbread
Ham and Swiss rolls, fruit salad
Stew, rolls, salad

Pumpkin Roll-ups

I was looking for something fun to eat on Halloween and came across this.  I added some ham to it to make it a little more filling and we loved it.

Ingredients

• Cream cheese or American cheese
• Sun-dried-tomato tortillas

• Toothpicks
• Cilantro or parsley sprigs*

Instructions

1. Spread cream cheese or lay American cheese slices on sun-dried-tomato tortillas.
2. Roll them up, then cut them into 1-inch sections. Secure with a toothpick topped with a cilantro or parsley sprig.

*I just used lettuce

Weekly Menu 10/30/11 -Amy

Homemade pizza
Spaghetti, green salad
Taco soup, tortilla chips
Tortillini soup
Sweet and sour chicken
Pumpkin waffles topped with vanilla yogurt and spiced apples
Roast beef, potatoes, carrots

Cheesy Potato Soup

I got this from a friend and tried it for the first time last night.  It was too hard and it was super yummy.  I did half of the recipe and it will probably last us all week (as long as you don't eat it as a main dish) or you could add chicken or ham and make it a main dish.

From Kara Schelin

Makes 8-10 servings

8 chicken boullion cubes
12 cups water
10 peeled and diced potatoes
2 stalks of diced celery (1 cup)
2 cups carrots, diced
½ cup onions, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil all above ingredients for approximately 40-45 minutes.  Turn off burner.

Make a roux.  In a small pan, melt ½ cup butter and ½ cup flour.  Mix well.

Add roux in undrained soup mix.  (This should be pretty thick).  Add 1 quart half and half. (Suggested to have half and half sitting out for about ½ hour so it's not so cold, it may separate if too cold and soup is too hot.)  Add approximately 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese; let sit for about 5 minutes.  Mix well and turn burner back on and bring to a boil.

Weekly Menu 10/30/11- Elise

Pumpkin Roll-ups, potato soup
Chicken Wontons, Rice, Broccoli
Pizza Monkey Bread, Salad
Roast Beef Enchiladas
Chicken Ceasar Wraps, potato soup

Too-Easy Tortellini Soup

This recipe is ready in 30 minutes or less

4 cups chicken broth

1 package (9 oz.) Refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 can (15 oz.) White kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Coarsely ground pepper, optional

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Stir in tortellini.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes and basil.  Simmer for 4-6 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Stir in the vinegar.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper if desired.  YIELD: 6 servings.

Weekly Menu 10/23/11- Elise

Baked Ziti, french bread
Tacos, pinto beans
cheeseburger eggrolls, potato salad
wontons, rice, broccoli

Weekly Menu 10/23/11 -Amy

Ham and Swiss rolls, veggie platter, fresh fruit
Chicken noodle soup, rolls
Loaded baked potato
Chili, cornbread
Lasagna

Weekly Menu 10/23/11 -Jeanine

Spaghetti, green beans, french bread
Pizza, smoothies
Waffles, scrambled eggs
Chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie

Cheeseburger Eggrolls

Cheeseburger Eggrolls

From The Rachel Ray Show

Square Wontons

(It's up to you how big you want them. The small square are good if you want bite sized cheeseburgers)

1/2 pound Hamburger

Cheddar Cheese (at least medium)

garlic, onion and salt to taste

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup relish

1/4 cup sour cream (or mayo)

Salt and Pepper

Cook hamburger with onion, garlic and salt. Drain fat. Fill each wonton square with cheese and hamburger. Fold in the sides and roll. Seal the edge with water. Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet (with sides). Place wontons on top of cooling rack and spray with cooking spray (or brush with butter or olive oil). Cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Mix sauce (play around with the amounts and do what tastes best to you).

Enjoy!

*Rachel Ray doesn't really use a lot of measurements so play around with the amounts and do what you like best!

Weekly Menu 10/16/11 -Jeanine

Ham and Swiss Rolls, fruit
Loaded baked potatoes, smoothie
Baked ziti, corn
Chicken tacos, Spanish Rice
Tomato Soup and grilled cheese

Weekly Menu 10/16/11 -Amy

Spaghetti, green salad
Taco Soup, chips
Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Chicken Tacos
Tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches (can you tell it's getting cold here with all this soup?)
Chicken, potatoes/gravy, corn

Pizza Monkey Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest... you can find it here.  It is very detailed.  Here is my simplified version:

Make your favorite pizza dough recipe.  I usually just make the one in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

While your dough is mixing, make up some garlic butter.  I just microwaved some butter and some of my squeeze garlic.  Use a little of that butter to grease up your bundt pan and set it aside.

Roll them into small balls.  I usually flatten one out to make sure I'm making them a good size... then I roll it back up and use that as my guide.

Next, you'll flatten your balls out. Place a pepperoni and some mozzarella cheese on each circle of dough.  (The original recipe asks that you put a cube of mozzarella on them.  The first time I made this I did that.  The second time I forgot to buy a block of mozzarella but I did  have string cheese so I just cut that into chunks.  This time I had a ton of shredded cheese so I used that.  They all worked well.)

Now you are going to roll your dough back into a ball and make sure it's sealed so that the cheese doesn't seep out.  Then dip it into some garlic butter.  I usually roll a bunch of balls and stick them in all at once.  Otherwise your buttery hands won't be able to seal the dough.

After the pizza balls are all buttered up you'll stick them into your bundt pan.  If I have any leftover butter I pour it on top.  If you have time you can let it sit and rest for 30 minutes... or you can just put it into the oven. You'll cook it at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Loosen the sides and turn onto a plate.

Warm up some pizza sauce for dipping.  (I usually use a can of tomato sauce and add spices to it.)

Enchiladas

Although I love mom's chicken enchiladas this week I am making some beef enchiladas.  I got this recipe from Crystal back when we were roommates.  I've adjusted it a little bit.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can green chilies
1 package of enchilada sauce
tomato sauce (look on the back of your enchilada sauce package for amount)
1/2 onion, chopped
3-4 green onions
black olives... as much as you like (I use a small can), sliced
tortillas
8 oz mozzarella cheese

Brown your beef and drain the grease.  Add green chilies to the meat and let it heat up.

Mix up your sauce according to directions on the package.
Dip your tortilla into the sauce so that it's covered in sauce... then take it out.  Put a little of everything else (meat mixture, onions, olives) in your tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla and place in your casserole dish.  Repeat until your dish is full.  Pour remaining sauce on top of the tortillas.  Sprinkle cheese on top.
Place in oven until it is hot all the way through.  (I usually do 350 for 30 minutes).

Weekly Menu 10/16/11- Elise

Pizza, Ceasar Salad

Cheeseburger Eggrolls, potato salad, fruit

Taquitos, guacamole

Taco Soup, chips

Weekly Menu 10/9/11-Jeanine

Fettuccine Alfredo, green beans, bread
Rice/black beans/fried egg
Enchiladas, spanish rice
Pizza Monkey Bread, Smoothies
Salmon (the last of our Alaskan... so sad), veggies, marinated potatoes

Weekly Menu 10/2/11-Jeanine

Egg burritos, fresh fruit
Chicken Salad
Pigs-in-blankets, fresh fruit
Spaghetti with meat sauce, corn, bread sticks
German Pancakes, smoothies, sausage

Weekly Menu 10/9/11 -Amy

Chicken Salad
Turkey bacon sandwich, smoothie
Taquitos, Spanish rice, beans
Chicken salad sandwiches
Homemade mac and cheese
Baked oatmeal, strawberries, yogurt
Teriyaki chicken with rice and veggies

Smoothies

My boys love these smoothies.  I don't have exact amounts... just throw stuff in the blender.

Frozen strawberries
Dannon All Natural Vanilla yogurt (several large spoonfuls)
Orange juice (enough to make it the consistency that you like)
Ground flax seed (about a TB?)

Occasionally I add banana or frozen peaches (I've tried adding other berries but they are too seedy and the boys don't like that.)

Easy Lasagna

1- 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce (or make your own)

1 lb. ground beef

1 clove garlic, pressed*

1/2 onion, minced*

Basil (fresh or dried)

Lasagna noodles (6-9, about 1/2 a box)

8 oz. cottage cheese

2-3 eggs

1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz. grated parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain.

Add spaghetti sauce and basil, simmer for 15-30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese and eggs.

Cook lasagna in boiling water for 10 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked run under cold water. (They will be easier to handle and won't stick)

In a large casserole dish, layer lasagna, meat, then both cheeses. Continue to layer until dish is full. A layer of meat then cheese should be on the top.

Bake at 350 degrees covered with foil for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes.

*I used dried onion and garlic and it still tasted great

I used a 9x13 pan and was only able to do two layers. If you do more than two layers you'll need more then 6 noodles.

Weekly Menu 10/2/11 - Amy

Baked southwestern egg rolls, Spanish rice, sour cream salsa dip
BLT, veggie platter, raspberry lemonade
Steak, twice baked potato dish, green beans (It's Jeff's birthday!)
Tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
Stroganoff, sweet potatoes
Oatmeal pancakes, fruit salad, bacon?
Pork chops, homemade applesauce, green beans, mashed potatoes with creamy milk gravy

Marinated Potatoes

• 4-5 medium red or white potatoes, cubed into 1 inch pieces (leave the skins on)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup finely minced onions
• small handful of fresh herb of choice, finely minced (I used parsley)

Simply mix together all ingredients in a large ziploc bag until well incorporated. Allow to sit for about an hour, stirring occasionally to evenly coat all of the potatoes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (be sure that the baking sheet has sides – the oil will drip off of a completely flat cookie sheet). Spread into one even layer and bake at 375° for 30-45 minutes. Check them every so often to be sure that they are not getting too brown. Enjoy!

These make a great side dish.  My kids have this thing against potatoes but we stared calling them french fries and now they gobble them up.  I don't always have time to let them sit for an hour and just pop them in the oven after mixing.

Taco Seasoning

I usually triple or quadruple this recipe and store it in a little dish, that way I have some ready to go when I need it.  The store bought kind is full of MSG and junk.

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I have never added this)

1/4 teaspoon aregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Weekly Menu 10/2/11- Elise

Steak Soup, fruit, rolls

mini pizzas, ceasar salad

Ham, eggs, oranges, banana muffins

Weekly Menu 9/25/11- Elise

Apriocot Chicken, rice, corn

Cheesy Ham and Potatos

Easy Lasagna, Ceasar salad, French Bread

Best Ever Tomato Soup

Rich declared this "the best tomato soup" he's ever had.  And every one of my boys loved it... So I thought I'd share the recipe!

olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 c. vegetable broth (1-32 oz container)*
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 TB butter, at room temperature
1/2 lb ABC pasta**
salt and pepper

In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5-7 minutes.  Add broth and tomatoes.  Cover.  Bring to a boil.

Using a blender, puree the soup with the butter.  (I could only fit about half the soup in my blender at a time.  And be careful!  I ended up with tomato soup all over my kitchen because it was hot and the lid popped off! Only fill your blender half way!)

In the pot, stir in pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.  Season with salt and pepper. 

*  You could probably use any kind of broth you want.
** I couldn't find ABC pasta so I just used what I had on hand.
***Also, I ran out of time and so I didn't do the carrot and onions... still turned out great!


recipe adapted from here

Weekly Menu 9/25/11 - Amy

Stir fry
Taco soup
Broccoli pasta
Pizza
BLT
Lasagna/butternut squash/ green beans

Weekly Menu 9/25/11-Jeanine

Tomato ABC soup with parmesan crisps
Baked potatoes with the works + a veggie
Oatmeal applesauce pancakes, eggs, oj
Orange chicken, rice, wontons, veggie (broccoli?)
Chicken tacos, spanish rice, fruit  (we didn't have this last week after all)

Weekly Menu 9/18/11-Elise

French Dip Sandwiches, jello

Beef Tacos

Ham, green beans, twice baked potatoes, jello

chicken salad croissants

Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers

This recipe makes a ton... over 20 servings!  It is great for freezing if you don't add the peppers and pasta.

1 yellow onion, minced
5 hot Italian sausages (removed from casing)... if you/your kids don't like spicy then get the mild sausages
4, 28 oz cans whole tomato, pureed in blender
1 small can tomato paste
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (I always have a bottle of the minced, squeeze garlic in my fridge)
2 TB salt
3 TB sugar
black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 fresh red peppers, sliced into half rings
rigatoni
feta cheese
Parmesan cheese


In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add sausages.  Cook sausage all the way and break it up into small bits with a spatula.

Add pureed tomato, tomato paste, garlic, salt, sugar, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh red pepper.  (If freezing, wait to add peppers)

Cook as much rigatoni as you need (2 handfuls per person) one minute shy of the lower end of cooking time in salted water.  Use one cup of sauce per serving.

Save 1 cup of pasta water and drain noodles.  Dump pasta in sauce with 2 spoonfuls of feta cheese per serving.  If it looks dry, add some pasta water.  Stir it up and serve with parmesan cheese.

* I found this recipe at feedyourfamily.blogspot.com

Weekly Menu 9/18/11-Jeanine

Taco Soup, tortilla chips, fruit
Cheddar Ranch Chicken, mashed potatoes, grilled&glazed carrots
Orange/Pecan/Strawberry French Toast and sausage
Pineapple Steak Skewers over rice
Pizza and Smoothies
Chicken Tacos, Spanish Rice, and fruit

Weekly Menu 9/18/11-Amy

Potato Soup
Tacos
Spaghetti
Chicken/Angel Hair Pasta/ Alfredo sauce
Tuna Patties/ Potato Wedges/ Green beans
Waffles/ Fruit Salad
Roast/ Potatoes/ Carrots

Potato Soup

4 large potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced (optional)

In large saucepan, combine potatoes, broth, onion, garlic, salt and pepper; bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Do not drain.  Mash potatoes in liquid until almost smooth.  Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Option: add 1/3 cup chopped ham or cooked bacon bits to add a different flavor.

Teriyaki Drumsticks with Rice and Veggies

Teriyaki Drumsticks with Rice and Veggies

You can marinate the chicken overnight, but a few hours will suffice as well. You can also play around with what type of sweetener you want to use. Growing up, we used brown sugar. But rapadura, maple sugar, honey -even maple syrup would work. Each sweetener will add it’s own unique flavor. If you don’t use agave syrup, up the amount you add (up to 1/2 cup). Agave is sweeter than honey or sugar. This will serve 4-6 people. 

2 pounds of drumsticks
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of rice vinegar
1/4 cup of agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon ginger, dried
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

Wash off chicken drumsticks, and place in a dish to marinate in. Combine the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Pour over the meat, cover and place in fridge. Marinate for a couple of hours or overnight.


Brown Rice 
An hour before you want to serve your dinner, make brown rice according to the package’s directions. Or, here’s how we make it.
Place in a medium pot:
6 cups of water
3 cups of brown basmati rice
1 teaspoon salt

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.

When rice is about half way through, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken with sauce in a small casserole dish, and cook (in middle to upper third of oven) for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through. To test, pierce one with a knife all the way to the bone, if it’s done the juices will run clear, it not, it will contain a little bit of blood.

After you get the chicken started, prep and cook the veggies.


Steamed Vegetable Side
4 cups of carrots,washed, peeled and sliced on a diagonal
3 celery sticks, washed, and sliced on a diagonal
1/4 head of purple (red) cabbage, thinly sliced

In a large pot place several inches of water, and a stainless steel steamer. Bring to a boil. Add veggies to steamer and steam, on low, for 8-10 minutes, just until tender.

To serve, you can keep everything separate, and serve the sauce on the side to pour over the veggies and rice. Or you can layer a casserole dish in this order, rice, veggies, meat, and then the sauce poured over everything. Enjoy!

Quinoa Chili

 source

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed & drained (or whatever beans you like)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoon salt
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water &
cup frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce, low salt (about 2 cups)
1 cup water


Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until tender. Add salt, garlic, pepper and spices; sauté for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add beans to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, sliced avocados or whatever else you like to put on chili. Makes 6-8 (1 Cup) Servings.

Great to make ahead and put in the crock pot for later.

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup  

(Six to Eight Generous Servings)

When I am not in a hurry, I saute the veggies in a little oil before I add the meat and water for extra flavor.  Use this recipe as an outline, as we have done it with slightly differences with no problem, my husband and I also cut the vegetables slightly differently and both ways work.

1 1/2-2 pounds of drumsticks or chicken legs 

4 carrots, peeled, stemmed, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into 1 inch pieces 

4 celery sticks, washed, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into 1 inch pieces 

1 onion, peeled and diced 

1-3 garlic cloves, peeled and put through the garlic press, optional 

1 bay leave, optional

 

Place all of the above ingredients in a large pot and cover well with water (we have just been eyeballing this, but about 8-12 cups, I would guess). Give a generous sprinkle of unrefined salt and bring to a boil, lower heat, and keep at a very low simmer for around 2 hours.

Near the end of the cooking time, in a separate pot, cook two cups of spiral shaped brown rice noodles (or noodles or your choice) according to package directions.

Take out the chicken drumsticks or legs, allow to cool, and then pull off the meat. I save the bones to use again in my next pot of chicken broth as there is still plenty of calcium left in them. Add the meat and noodles to the pot of soup, and salt and pepper to taste. Take out the bay leaf and serve with buttered toast and lots of love.